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Yeah, But Where Are You Really From?: A story of overcoming the odds
'An engrossing, urgent, and entertaining read. I couldn't put it down' Roddy Doyle
______
Marguerite Penrose's is an extraordinary story of making a great life from complicated beginnings. Marguerite was born in a Dublin mother-and-baby home in 1974, the daughter of an Irish mother and a Zambian father. Severe scoliosis indicated a future of difficult medical procedures. She was a little girl who needed a break. And she got it at three when she was fostered - and later adopted - by a young couple, Mick and Noeline, and acquired a mam, dad, sister, Ciara, and loving extended family.
Growing up, Marguerite's appearance was occasionally remarked on by strangers, but it wasn't until her teens that she understood that her skin colour was a provocation for some. The progressive city that she knew was revealed to have an unpleasant undercurrent. So, she became an expert in shaping her life around anything that marked her out as 'different'.
Marguerite's story is one of facing some big questions - Who am I? How do I live in world made for people with bodies different to mine? Why does anyone care about my skin colour? - with intelligence, humour, courage and common-sense. She writes about coming to terms with the circumstances of her birth and, like so many in her position, looking for answers. About navigating the world as an active woman with a disability. About what it means to be both Irish and Black, particularly at a moment when the conversation is becoming mainstream in Ireland and she is thinking about it in new ways herself. Mostly, she writes about embracing life in a spirit of openness and positivity.
Yeah, But Where Are You Really From? is a captivating, wise and inspiring memoir by a truly remarkable woman.
___________
'[Her] warmth and enthusiasm for life are immediately apparent within the pages of this beautifully written book' IRISH TIMES MAGAZINE
'Beautiful, moving, tender and informative' SINÉAD MORIARTY
'Wonderful' MIRIAM O'CALLAGHAN
______
Marguerite Penrose's is an extraordinary story of making a great life from complicated beginnings. Marguerite was born in a Dublin mother-and-baby home in 1974, the daughter of an Irish mother and a Zambian father. Severe scoliosis indicated a future of difficult medical procedures. She was a little girl who needed a break. And she got it at three when she was fostered - and later adopted - by a young couple, Mick and Noeline, and acquired a mam, dad, sister, Ciara, and loving extended family.
Growing up, Marguerite's appearance was occasionally remarked on by strangers, but it wasn't until her teens that she understood that her skin colour was a provocation for some. The progressive city that she knew was revealed to have an unpleasant undercurrent. So, she became an expert in shaping her life around anything that marked her out as 'different'.
Marguerite's story is one of facing some big questions - Who am I? How do I live in world made for people with bodies different to mine? Why does anyone care about my skin colour? - with intelligence, humour, courage and common-sense. She writes about coming to terms with the circumstances of her birth and, like so many in her position, looking for answers. About navigating the world as an active woman with a disability. About what it means to be both Irish and Black, particularly at a moment when the conversation is becoming mainstream in Ireland and she is thinking about it in new ways herself. Mostly, she writes about embracing life in a spirit of openness and positivity.
Yeah, But Where Are You Really From? is a captivating, wise and inspiring memoir by a truly remarkable woman.
___________
'[Her] warmth and enthusiasm for life are immediately apparent within the pages of this beautifully written book' IRISH TIMES MAGAZINE
'Beautiful, moving, tender and informative' SINÉAD MORIARTY
'Wonderful' MIRIAM O'CALLAGHAN
240 pages, Paperback
Published March 9, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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October 19, 2025‘Yeah, But Where are You Really From? - A Story of Overcoming The Odds’ is the @tiredmammybookclub pick for October, and my word, what a wonderful choice! There’s so much to discuss in this book.
I immediately warmed to Marguerite and I feel honoured to have read about her remarkable life to date.
Marguerite was born in a Dublin mother-and-baby-home in 1974; her birth mother was an Irish woman living around the grand canal, and her father was Zambian. That’s all she ever really learnt about either of them, and has spent her life trying to find out more. At the age of three Marguerite was fostered by the lovely Penrose family who raised her as if she was their own, providing especially loving care and support during gruelling hospital stays as Marguerite has severe scoliosis.
Being both Black-and-Irish, and disabled has had a profound impact on her life, and she generously shares those experiences and insights with us in this book.
This is a well written memoir. Marguerite’s conversational writing style and honesty made me want to keep reading, and soon I found I had flown through the book without realising.
Obviously there are some difficult themes here; racism and ableism have upsettingly featured throughout Marguerite’s life.
For me, her detailed descriptions of being intubated in ICU as an adult brought back some uncomfortable memories, but mostly I overwhelmingly just felt a real sense of empathy for her.
She’s a truly incredible woman who has achieved so much in her life.
You might be concerned that it sounds heavy-going at times, but Marguerite comes across as a genuinely positive person; the message I took away from reading her story is that life is what you make of it.
There’s also an excellent chapter at the end about racism in Ireland and how we can and should tackle it as a country- required reading for all.
I highly recommend this one!
I immediately warmed to Marguerite and I feel honoured to have read about her remarkable life to date.
Marguerite was born in a Dublin mother-and-baby-home in 1974; her birth mother was an Irish woman living around the grand canal, and her father was Zambian. That’s all she ever really learnt about either of them, and has spent her life trying to find out more. At the age of three Marguerite was fostered by the lovely Penrose family who raised her as if she was their own, providing especially loving care and support during gruelling hospital stays as Marguerite has severe scoliosis.
Being both Black-and-Irish, and disabled has had a profound impact on her life, and she generously shares those experiences and insights with us in this book.
This is a well written memoir. Marguerite’s conversational writing style and honesty made me want to keep reading, and soon I found I had flown through the book without realising.
Obviously there are some difficult themes here; racism and ableism have upsettingly featured throughout Marguerite’s life.
For me, her detailed descriptions of being intubated in ICU as an adult brought back some uncomfortable memories, but mostly I overwhelmingly just felt a real sense of empathy for her.
She’s a truly incredible woman who has achieved so much in her life.
You might be concerned that it sounds heavy-going at times, but Marguerite comes across as a genuinely positive person; the message I took away from reading her story is that life is what you make of it.
There’s also an excellent chapter at the end about racism in Ireland and how we can and should tackle it as a country- required reading for all.
I highly recommend this one!
March 29, 2023
Marguerite Penrose was born in one of the most well-known mother and baby homes in Ireland, the daughter of an Irish mother and an African (possibly Zambian) man. Because of religious and social issues at the time, Marguerite's mother was pressured to have her baby in the home, and give her up for adoption - and despite her father coming to visit her, and asking to bring her home to his own country to raise her, she was kept by the religious organisation that ran the home and put in a ward full of children with no hope of being adopted due to their status as mixed race children, and in Marguerite's case also being born with extensive medical issues due to scoliosis.
Despite everything, Marguerite ended up being adopted into the Penrose family where she was brought up in a home of love and warmth, and she never allowed her disability to stop her living the life she wanted. In this book, she looks at her life and the people in it, and reflects on what it's like to Black and Irish and also live with a disability.
I enjoyed this book. I felt it was very conversational and Marguerite comes across like a friendly, warm and genuine person. I liked hearing about her childhood and early years (especially as she grew up not far from where I live now), and I actually found it really interesting how her career changed paths so many times and she did so many different things.
I think Marguerite talked about her experience as a Black Irish person so well, especially as she grew up in an Ireland that just wasn't used to seeing people of colour, and how unfortunately as Ireland became more multicultural in the 90s, so did the instances of racism and xenophobia. I also appreciated her sharing her experiences with her scoliosis including some really traumatic medical issues she suffered due to it when she was a child.
I think this is an easy book to read and would be accessible to a wide range of readers, and would encourage anyone interested in Marguerite's story to pick it up.
Despite everything, Marguerite ended up being adopted into the Penrose family where she was brought up in a home of love and warmth, and she never allowed her disability to stop her living the life she wanted. In this book, she looks at her life and the people in it, and reflects on what it's like to Black and Irish and also live with a disability.
I enjoyed this book. I felt it was very conversational and Marguerite comes across like a friendly, warm and genuine person. I liked hearing about her childhood and early years (especially as she grew up not far from where I live now), and I actually found it really interesting how her career changed paths so many times and she did so many different things.
I think Marguerite talked about her experience as a Black Irish person so well, especially as she grew up in an Ireland that just wasn't used to seeing people of colour, and how unfortunately as Ireland became more multicultural in the 90s, so did the instances of racism and xenophobia. I also appreciated her sharing her experiences with her scoliosis including some really traumatic medical issues she suffered due to it when she was a child.
I think this is an easy book to read and would be accessible to a wide range of readers, and would encourage anyone interested in Marguerite's story to pick it up.
September 11, 2022
Given all that she has experienced in her life, it is remarkable how Marguerite Penrose is able to tell her story without any bitterness or rancour. This book radiates empathy and warmth, and is testament to the supportive and loving relationships she has with her family members.
March 1, 2023
I did enjoy this and I can't believe all of the struggles which Marguerite overcame, her strength is so admirable.
I loved reading this because she comes across very relatable and down to earth, never moaning or self pitying.
I think she could have had a bit more help with editing as some sentence structures repeated themselves with storytelling, however on a whole it has a clear message of humanity, unique and inspiring.
I loved reading this because she comes across very relatable and down to earth, never moaning or self pitying.
I think she could have had a bit more help with editing as some sentence structures repeated themselves with storytelling, however on a whole it has a clear message of humanity, unique and inspiring.
May 26, 2022
This is a fantastic book about tough beginnings, resilience and the search for identity in modern Ireland.
Marguerite has shown great determination and her call for action is what is required today.
Marguerite has shown great determination and her call for action is what is required today.
September 17, 2022
Marguerite is an inspiration. Her story exudes positivity and empathy
October 31, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Yeah, But Where Are You Really From? By Marguerite Penrose
This was the Tired Mammy Book Club pick for October, and a book I would not have chosen for myself. This is why I love book clubs, as they introduce you to fantastic books that you may have missed out on.
Marguerite was born to a white Irish mother and a black Zambian father in Dublin in 1974. She was delivered in a mother and baby home and then placed up for adoption. Nick and Noeleen Penrose adopted her and gave her a wonderful life, always surrounded by so much love, especially from her sister and best friend, Ciara.
But Marguerite was born with Scoliosis and had many operations, and although some were successful, she would always suffer with her health her whole life. She has come across so many obstacles in her life, especially being black and Irish and constantly being asked, “Yeah, but where are you really from?”
Her positivity and openness were like a breath of fresh air. She always sees the best in everything and never lets anything get her down. She overcame so much prejudice and used her experiences to help people in similar situations. She came across as such a friendly, warm and affable person.
This was an easy read about some difficult topics, but I enjoyed rejoicing in Marguerite's highs and loved reading about her different careers. This is such an elegantly written and honest memoir that I know many people in Ireland will relate to.
This was the Tired Mammy Book Club pick for October, and a book I would not have chosen for myself. This is why I love book clubs, as they introduce you to fantastic books that you may have missed out on.
Marguerite was born to a white Irish mother and a black Zambian father in Dublin in 1974. She was delivered in a mother and baby home and then placed up for adoption. Nick and Noeleen Penrose adopted her and gave her a wonderful life, always surrounded by so much love, especially from her sister and best friend, Ciara.
But Marguerite was born with Scoliosis and had many operations, and although some were successful, she would always suffer with her health her whole life. She has come across so many obstacles in her life, especially being black and Irish and constantly being asked, “Yeah, but where are you really from?”
Her positivity and openness were like a breath of fresh air. She always sees the best in everything and never lets anything get her down. She overcame so much prejudice and used her experiences to help people in similar situations. She came across as such a friendly, warm and affable person.
This was an easy read about some difficult topics, but I enjoyed rejoicing in Marguerite's highs and loved reading about her different careers. This is such an elegantly written and honest memoir that I know many people in Ireland will relate to.
October 16, 2025
Read as the @tiredmammybookclub October pick.
Born in 1974 in St Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home on Dublin’s Navan Road the daughter of an Irish mother and a Zambian father Penrose’s life begins in a place designed to erase difference. Yet her story does the opposite: it insists on being seen. She grew up in a country that didn’t quite know what to do with difference and she shows us how she made it her strength.
What follows is a powerful, deeply personal journey through identity, belonging, and resilience. From the early challenges of living with congenital scoliosis to the subtle and overt racism she faced growing up in Dublin, Penrose traces the ways she learned to move through a world that often struggled to make space for her. Her prose is honest, warm, and disarmingly clear — the kind that invites you in like a friend over tea before landing quietly profound truths.
This isn’t a misery memoir; it’s a reclamation. Penrose writes with wit and insight about navigating Ireland as both Black and Irish, disabled yet determined, adopted yet rooted. She reminds us that identity is not a fixed thing it’s something we grow into, shape, and claim for ourselves.
What lingers is her optimism. Even in recounting trauma, there’s a refusal to let pain define her. The result is a book that feels as much a celebration as it is an account of endurance — an essential read for anyone interested in the evolving story of modern Irishness.
Yeah, But Where Are You Really From? is a memoir about courage, clarity, and claiming your own narrative and it deserves to be part of every conversation about what it means to belong.
Born in 1974 in St Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home on Dublin’s Navan Road the daughter of an Irish mother and a Zambian father Penrose’s life begins in a place designed to erase difference. Yet her story does the opposite: it insists on being seen. She grew up in a country that didn’t quite know what to do with difference and she shows us how she made it her strength.
What follows is a powerful, deeply personal journey through identity, belonging, and resilience. From the early challenges of living with congenital scoliosis to the subtle and overt racism she faced growing up in Dublin, Penrose traces the ways she learned to move through a world that often struggled to make space for her. Her prose is honest, warm, and disarmingly clear — the kind that invites you in like a friend over tea before landing quietly profound truths.
This isn’t a misery memoir; it’s a reclamation. Penrose writes with wit and insight about navigating Ireland as both Black and Irish, disabled yet determined, adopted yet rooted. She reminds us that identity is not a fixed thing it’s something we grow into, shape, and claim for ourselves.
What lingers is her optimism. Even in recounting trauma, there’s a refusal to let pain define her. The result is a book that feels as much a celebration as it is an account of endurance — an essential read for anyone interested in the evolving story of modern Irishness.
Yeah, But Where Are You Really From? is a memoir about courage, clarity, and claiming your own narrative and it deserves to be part of every conversation about what it means to belong.
January 14, 2024
Clearly a lovely person but I felt this book lacked personal insight or “realness”.
October 26, 2025
Really enjoyed this story of bravery, resilience and empathy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews